That would be a wasted chance, says Rob Allen of King's College, London.

ECONOMIST: Prison expansion

This time it's a former college football teammate who claims Allen regularly used racial slurs and once even stuffed a dead deer head into a black family's mailbox.

NPR: Allen's Miscues Make for Close Race in Virginia

"I'm not sure Bill would ever have dropped out of Harvard if it wasn't for Paul, " Mr. Yoffie said, referring to Mr. Allen's role in encouraging Mr. Gates to leave college to start Microsoft.

WSJ: Microsoft Co-Founder Hits Out at Gates

He noted how Lin's performance in two unsexy statistical categories two-point field-goal percentage (a barometer of inside scoring ability) and RSB40 (rebounds, steals and blocks per 40 minutes) compared favorably with college numbers put up by marquee NBA guards like Allen Iverson and Gary Payton.

WSJ: Jeremy Lin and the Guy Who Saw Linsanity Coming